Last weekend I was in NorCal teaching and doing a RipRow™ demo at Trail Head Cyclery. Thursday Lars Thomsen and I talked business, assembled the machines then went for a ride. It was getting late.

We drove to Santa Teresa and parked at the “Lover’s Lane” lot near IBM. The sun was setting. I told Lars:

“I don’t want to be afraid.”

Over the past several years, as my shoulders have deteriorated, rocks have become painful, and I’ve become very afraid. But I’ve been doing the REVO physical therapy and RipRow work. My shoulders are stronger. My Specialized Enduro Öhlins Coil is the most capable trail bike in the world. I want to ride aggressively and not worry about the details.

In the words of Guerrilla Gravity: “As the “Singletrack Flyer,” the Trail Pistol inspires the kind of fun you only experience flying through the pit of a punk rock show. The kind of reckless fun that reminds you why you started mountain biking in the first place.”

That is some good copy. Especially if you’ve never been in a real pit of a real punk rock show (before punk went mainstream). In reality they are violent and crazy and kinda scary! I have this awesome scar from a show …

But it’s great copy, and I think it captures the intent of the Trail Pistol.

After riding this bike for two days with about 11 hours of ride time, here are some other things I think:

Lee
I have the same Stumpjumper Expert 2012 you have. Mine has original shocks and has carbon Roval rims Been riding a 2.3 Ground Control front and 2.1 Captain rear. I have a 2.4 Purgatory I could put on front and move the Ground Control to rear.

My friends have 27.5 Nomads etc. We ride freeride. Could get Maxxis DHR front and DHR rear. Is that a good setup for my Stumpjumper 29? Roots and freeride with dry hardpack and loose pine needles.

Riding in Hawaii. Whats the best thing to upgrade this bike in tire handling to 2016 standards? Thanks, Jason

Reading your book on MTB skills and have just taken the plunge and swapped out my Stumpy Elite 26 inched with a Stump Comp Evo 29er (arrives next week).
Thing is we have a nice pumptrack near us and i still want to ride it with my two boys.
It got me thinking that there’s going to be some differences now that i’m on a 140mm travel 29er! Any suggestions would be welcome – I’m guessing I can’t be the only person in this situation 🙂